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8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 FEBRUARY 2026 NEWS After breaking this football NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt RAMON Falzon has spent the past decade winning titles on the other side of the world. In Perth, he built a reputation for high standards, record-breaking con- sistency and a professional culture that turned the club into a trophy machine. Now, he wants to return home to Malta. "I want to spend more time with my parents," he says simply. "But I also want to help here. I want to bring that international high-per- formance experience back and make good use of it in Malta." When Falzon first left Malta, he had no master plan. No club waiting. No contract signed. Just a decision to reset his life and start from scratch. He quickly secured a role outside the game as a chief financial officer at the Institute of Sport in Western Australia, but breaking into football proved harder. In a country with a deeper football ecosystem and a strong- er international profile, he had to earn recognition from zero. "It was tough because I didn't know anyone. When you move to a new country, you have to build a reputation all over again," he said. "And when you come from a smaller football nation, there's a perception gap. Until I got my foot in, it wasn't easy." What struck him immediately was the uncompromising profes- sionalism of the Australian sys- tem. "In Malta there were things I would normally close an eye towards. In Australia, they leave no stone unturned until they get it right. I had to shift the mental- ity to one where mistakes are not allowed. You don't get away with them there." His first football job was with Perth Azzurri SC coaching at youth level in the National Pre- mier Leagues. The work soon caught the attention of A-League side Perth Glory, and he spent two years as assistant coach with their youth team, helping them to con- secutive top-five finishes between 2011 and 2013. He then stepped into senior management with Balcatta Etna FC, a club with Italian roots that Labour-intensive economic growth model approaching its limits, IMF warns MALTA'S labour-intensive eco- nomic growth model appears to be approaching its limits, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has noted. In its report on Malta, the IMF acknowledged Malta's impres- sive economic growth, but noted that the current labour-driven economic model "is reaching its limits due to infrastructure con- straints, population density, and tight labour markets, underscor- ing the need for a strategic pivot toward productivity-driven ex- pansion." The report stresses that Malta can no longer rely on a contin- ued influx of foreign workers to sustain momentum, noting that the island now faces a population density 15 times greater than the EU average. On the fiscal front, the IMF commended Malta for a narrow- ing deficit, which fell from 4.4% of GDP in 2023 to an estimated 3.2% in 2025, with a target of 2.6% by 2026. While public debt remains sus- tainable and stable at around 47% of GDP, the IMF recommends phasing out untargeted energy subsidies, which cost about 0.8% of GDP in 2025, to create space for critical investments in infra- structure and the green transi- tion. The IMF stated that Malta's fi- nancial sector remains resilient, but urged vigilance regarding the banking system's high exposure to real estate. Lending to con- struction and real estate now ac- counts for 72% of the private loan portfolio. Structural challenges, particu- larly in the labour market and judiciary, remain a drag on the business climate. Currently, 68% of employers in the services sec- tor report labour shortages, a fig- ure significantly higher than the EU average of 24%. The report advocates for a more strategic, skills-based migration policy and increased domestic upskilling. According to the IMF, the out- look for the economy remains positive but is subject to down- side risks primarily stemming from external factors. Geopolit- ical tensions and regional con- flicts could disrupt trade and lead to renewed spikes in global ener- gy prices, which would impact Malta's open economy. MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt